


Alex's Story

by katkatnomad



Series: Alex's Story [1]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Prostitution, purposeful neglect, spousal abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-01-27 15:02:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12584472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katkatnomad/pseuds/katkatnomad
Summary: W.I.P





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> **Content Warning!!** This prologue contains child abuse, spousal abuse, and purposeful neglect. Please read at your own discretion!

**Please read author's comments for content warnings before reading this piece, thank you!**

***********************************************

Alexander Kim sat in the back seat of the family SUV, his head leaning against the window, eyes half-closed. He was exhausted, his head felt like it was splitting in half, and he was painfully hungry. The scent of the two pizzas he held in his lap caused his stomach to growl audibly; however, he was lucky enough that the sound of the radio and the noise of the car’s engine were enough to cover it up. It was his father’s latest form of torture to buy food for the rest of the family and leave his son to starve. After all, this was just more punishment for whatever it had been that Alex had pissed his father off about lately; as of now, it was Sunday, and he hadn’t eaten since lunch time at school on Friday. He just had to power through the remainder of today, and then he could eat at school again tomorrow.

“You better not be falling asleep back there!” snapped his father from the driver’s seat. Alex opened his eyes wider and rolled them, before he met his father’s gaze in the rearview mirror.

“I wouldn’t _dream_ of it,” grumbled Alex, the lack of food causing his anger and rebellious nature to burst to life at the smallest of sparks.

“You’ve still got a _lot_ to do when you get home. That house better be spotless by the time I go to bed tonight,” threatened his father. Alex sighed, but offered no answer. Instead, he turned his head to stare out of the window again. “Are you ignoring me, boy?”

“Richard, please. Do not be mad at him,” came Alex’s mother’s voice from the passenger seat.

Alex sat up straighter now, his heart starting to pick up the pace. He watched as his father took his eyes off of the road for a dangerous amount of time to glare at his wife.

“Just how many times have I told you to keep your fucking mouth shut?” growled Richard.

“Mom, don’t worry about it,” said Alex quickly. “I was ignoring him.”

Richard gave a dark laugh; his grip on the steering wheel tightened so much that his knuckles went white.

“You fucking disrespectful bastard.”

“I didn’t think you needed an answer for that,” explained Alex.

“You fucking answer me when I speak to you. You got that?” demanded Richard, his tone growing in volume.

“Sure.”

“What was that?” Alex closed his eyes for a moment.

“Yes, sir.”

Alex settled back into the seat, having successfully diverted his father’s attention from his mother. He felt a twinge of irritation, however, as his younger sister stared at him with wide, fearful eyes. Alex felt like absolute shit; it wasn’t fair that he had to be his sister’s support, too.

A moment later, Alex swallowed his frustrations and reached across the seat to silently hold his sister’s hand. After all, if Alex didn’t protect her, no one else would. His father beat his mother and sister as well on a regular basis. Alex always did his best to redirect his father’s anger onto himself. He had christened himself as his family’s protector, and he couldn’t drop that simply because he was suffering, too.

It was dark when the SUV pulled into the driveway. Richard directed his wife and daughter toward the house, then rounded on Alex and backhanded him across the face. Alex’s ears rang for a brief moment, and he fell back against the side of the car. He kept a firm grip on the boxes of pizza, fully aware that his father would lose it even harder if he’d dropped them. Alex glared up at Richard, jaw clenched.

“You do not speak to me that way,” said Richard. “You will address me with respect, you piece of shit.”

“Yes, sir,” replied Alex through clenched teeth.

“Get in that fucking house.”

Richard shoved his son toward the house now. He followed closely behind Alex until they had entered the house. Richard left to change out of his business clothes, while Alex went into the dining room.

There really wasn’t much to be set up, but Alex was still expected to set the table. He set out plates and napkins for the other three, and grabbed a beer for his father. Everyone had to wait for Richard to be seated before they could take their own seats.

Alex was forced to sit at the table and watch as the others ate. He was even forbidden from drinking anything more than water – in contrast, his sister Maria was allowed to drink soda. Normally, this was forbidden to either child, but it was just another way for his father mess with Alex.

When everyone was done eating, it was Alex’s duty to clean up as well. His first move was to collect the leftovers to put in the fridge, but his father grabbed him roughly by the back of his shirt.

“Do you think I’m fucking stupid?” said Richard. Alex had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from replying with a “yes.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about… sir,” added Alex quickly. Richard gave a laugh devoid of humor. He then backhanded Alex for a second time that night.

“Don’t fucking play around with me!” yelled Richard. He lowered his voice now, in an attempt to sound dangerous. “I’m not an idiot.”

Richard opened the pizza boxes himself and counted how many slices were left. He then stomped over to the fridge and shoved the boxes inside. Afterward, he strode over to his son and got in his face; Richard wasn’t drunk, not yet, but Alex could still smell the beer on his breath.

“I’ll check those tomorrow. If any of them are missing, you’ll be dead,” said Richard, shoving his finger into the boy’s chest.

“Yes, sir,” replied Alex, his tone flat. Richard glared down at Alex for a few moments longer.

“Clean the house, and then I want you in your room,” ordered Richard.

“Yes, sir.”

Richard stomped off now. Alex sighed and rolled his eyes. His cheekbone was sore; his father’s wedding ring had cracked against his left cheekbone twice that night, and Alex was fairly certain he would wake up with a bruise the next morning.

Alex collected the dishes and washed them, before setting to work on cleaning the kitchen itself. He then moved on to the downstairs bathroom. Alex felt worn down; he had to stop in the middle of cleaning the bath tub and cling to the edge as the fields of his visions blackened. He closed his eyes and sat down on the floor. He put his head in his hands and breathed deeply, in an attempt to stop himself from passing out.

“Alex?” came his mother’s voice from the doorway. “What is wrong?”

Alex pulled his hands away and looked up at his mother. Euna Beckett was a short, petite woman. She was darkly tanned, and her deep brown eyes betrayed the misery of her life. She was a broken woman, and at this point in her life, she would have ended it to save herself, were it not for her children.

“Nothing, Eomma,” said Alex quietly. He offered his mother a smile. “I’m just really tired.”

“I am sorry, my baby. Let me clean. You sleep,” said Euna. Alex shook his head. He stood up now and set his supplies aside as his mother approached. She wrapped her arms around her son and hugged him tightly.

“I am sorry, Alex. So sorry.” Euna put her hand over her mouth as she looked at her son, her eyes watering. He was tan, though not quite as dark as his mother. The only real trait Alex had gotten from his father was his reddish-brown hair. Alex was gangly and bony – it was clear that his body was trying to grow as it tested the waters of puberty, but it was difficult for it to do so given the abuse and neglect.

“Don’t be sorry, Eomma. This isn’t your fault.” Euna took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself for her son.

“I love you, Alex. You know it, right?” said Euna now. Alex’s brows furrowed slightly, concerned by his mother’s words.

“Of course, Eomma. I love you, too.” Alex hesitated. “You… you should probably go. If Richard sees you keeping me company… he’ll get mad.”

Euna nodded in agreement. Still, she stood there for a little longer. It looked as though she wanted to say more, but ultimately, she decided against it.

Alex felt tears well up in his eyes as he started to clean again. He hated his father so much, and he considered different things he might do to piss Richard off.

Alex focused his anger and upset into pushing past his exhaustion, and was able to finish his designated chores before his father retired at midnight. As he lay in bed and listened to his stomach cry out for food, he tried to plan out how he could manage to get his family away from Richard. He had asked his mother on several occasions if they could just leave; she had always told him no, that it was more complicated than that. Alex didn’t understand, but he trusted his mother.

Alex didn’t know when exhaustion had overcome him, but it felt like he had closed his eyes only a moment before his alarm began to ring. He fumbled for the alarm to turn it off, knocking it over when he pulled his hand away. His dark eyes were bleary to the point that he couldn’t really see; his eyes itched with sleep, and his eyelids were too heavy to keep open.

The fourteen-year-old boy was overcome with the urge to cry in frustration. Alex was at a breaking point – one meal in three days was just not enough to keep his body functioning. Still, he forced himself out of bed and to dress himself. He decided then and there that he would buy breakfast at school, damn the consequences.

However, when he entered the hallway, his mother quickly corralled him into the kitchen. His mother then shoved a plate of food in his hands; it was a couple of lunchmeat sandwiches, something that wouldn’t give off any aromas and alert his father. Alex stared down at the food, as though he had forgotten it was meant to be eaten.

“Eat over the sink,” instructed his mother, in nothing more than a whisper. She glanced over her shoulder as she ushered her son toward the sink. “Get ready after. Your father will be angry if you miss the bus. I will clean up.”

Alex wanted to protest. If his father somehow found out that Euna had fed him, Richard would beat her. But he was so damn hungry. His hands shook, and he nearly drooled on himself as he opened his mouth to wolf down the food. He was finished in no longer than five minutes. He wasn’t even sure if he had tasted it, but the relief and sheer joy that spread through his body confirmed that he had finally gotten to eat.

Euna quickly busied herself with cleaning up the evidence. She washed the plate, dried it, and placed it quietly into the cupboard. She then washed out the sink, to be sure that any scraps of food were washed away.

Meanwhile, Alex had retrieved his backpack from the hall closet. Maria waited for him by the door as he put on his shoes. Euna had entered the hallway to tell her goodbye when her husband appeared behind her. Her face paled and her eyes widened with fear as she realized her husband was there. Alex took a protective step in front of Maria, in an attempt to shield her.

“You fed the little bastard, didn’t you?” demanded Richard as he yanked her around to face him.

“Of course not, Richard,” said Euna quietly, her gaze directed at the ground. She let out a pitiful yelp as he backhanded her.

“I’M NOT FUCKING STUPID!” he roared. “The fucking sink is wet – so is the sponge! You tried to cover it up!”

“I – I made food for Maria,” tried Euna now, but Richard hit her again.

“Don’t you fucking lie to me!”

“Please, Richard – he is a child!”

“That little bastard is going to learn to either respect, or fear me. He can starve to death for all I care!”

“Alex, no!” cried Maria, as she grabbed at his sleeve in an attempt to keep her brother from interfering. Alex pulled away from her and darted forward anyway. He placed himself between his mother and father, before Richard could strike Euna again. Richard laughed.

“You think I won’t hit you, shithead? Get the fuck out of my way,” snarled Richard.

“It wasn’t her!” yelled Alex. He clenched his fists as he stared down his father. “I took the food, okay? She didn’t do anything!”

“You’re a lying little bastard – like your whore of a mother!”

Richard backhanded Alex, before he threw his son against the wall. He began to punch Alex in the torso until he couldn’t breathe. The only thing that stopped him was Euna, who screamed at him to stop and tried to pull him away from their son. Richard rounded on his wife now; he struck her one more time in the face, hard enough to bloody her nose, and then finally he stormed off.

Alex sunk to the floor, wheezing. He sat doubled over, holding his stomach with his arms. Euna knelt down in front of him, and Maria scurried over as well, tears streaming down her face.

“Alex? Alex, are you okay?” asked Euna. She placed her small, soft hands on her son’s face and gently tilted his head up so that she could look at him. His eyes were squinted in pain, brows knotted together, and his breathing was still labored.

“Eomma.. your nose… it’s bleeding,” wheezed Alex.

“Do not worry over me. Can you stand?” asked Euna now. Alex tried to take a deep breath, but he cried out in pain and doubled back over.

“Eomma, will Alex be okay?” asked Maria, tears welling up in her eyes. Euna stood and kissed her daughter on the forehead.

“I will be sure. Go and get on the bus,” instructed Euna.

“But, Eomma -”

“Go! Your father will be more angry if you are late.”

“Yes, Eomma…” said Maria quietly. She hesitated a moment longer, then fled out the front door. Euna now turned back to Alex.

“You can stand?” asked Euna.

“I don’t know,” replied Alex.

“You cannot go to school in this way. Please, I will help you to bed,” said Euna. “If you are worse later, I will take you to the hospital.”

Alex wasn’t going to argue. He hated school, and would much rather go back to bed and spend some time with his mother later.

Alex forced himself to his feet. Euna put an arm around him, but she was too tiny for him to put much weight on. She helped him to bed and tucked him in. She then sat down on the edge of the bed for a moment.

“Please… know I am sorry,” said Euna.

“Don’t be sorry, Eomma. You didn’t do this.”

“I love you, my son.”

“I love you, too, Eomma.”

Euna stood, but leaned over to kiss Alex on the forehead before she left.

The last time Alexander Kim saw his mother and sister alive was at seven that night. Snow had started falling an hour before his father had gotten home, but almost exactly after he walked in the door at six, Richard was demanding that Euna go to the store.

In spite of the weather, Euna did not argue with her husband. Too much had happened that morning for her to risk angering him again. She even agreed to take Maria with her, in spite of her reservations. Alex, however, was forbidden to leave the house, and so he hid in his room away from his father.

There was a loud knock on the door at around ten that night. Alex crept out into the hallway and peered out over the bannister. If there was to be a visitor at the house, they all would have known about it. Richard would have made them clean the house until it was spotless, and he would have made sure that Euna was home to play the part of an obedient wife.

Alex was more confused than anything to see a police officer on their front porch.

“Hello, sir. Is Mr. Beckett home?” asked the police officer.

“Uh, yes. That would be me. Please, step inside out of the cold,” offered Richard. The police officer stepped just inside the door and closed it. Alex felt hopeful for a brief moment. Had his mother finally reported his father? Was this man here to arrest Richard? “Can I help you, officer?”

“Are you the husband of Euna Beckett?” asked the officer now. Alex scowled at the way to the officer mispronounced his mother’s name.

“Yes, I am. May I ask what this is all about?” asked Richard.

“Mr. Beckett… I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but… your wife and daughter are dead.”

“What!?” blurted Alex. Richard turned around to look at Alex – the policeman looked up at the teenager as well, with a saddened expression.

“Elijah, go back to your room,” directed Richard.

Alex was frozen. He couldn’t even bring himself to snap at his father for using the wrong name. It felt like there was a vicegrip around his heart. He couldn't bring his lungs to expand to draw in air; his blood had frozen in his veins. There was no way he could have heard the officer right.

“Elijah, please. Go to your room – we can discuss this in a moment,” pressed Richard.

“Don’t – don’t call me that!” Alex forced his legs to move, but it felt let he had minimum control over them. He stumbled as he rushed down the stairs and almost fell, but he caught himself on the railing and charged forward again. “What did you just say!?”

“Listen, son, I think you should listen to your father,” said the cop.

“No – you said – you said something happened to my eomma and my sister!” insisted Alex. The officer looked up at Richard for a cue.

“He’ll hear about it anyway. What happened?”

“A semi truck hit the cab they were in. The roads are still icy and it was going too fast.. Everyone in the car was dead at the scene. The semi driver will be lucky to make it through surgery, and if he does, he’ll be bound to a wheelchair.”

It seemed like Alex was going deaf. He could hear his father’s demands that the semi driver be arrested, but the words sounded so far away. He stared at the officer, seeing his lips move, but he couldn’t hear anything. His chest hurt, and his breathing became erratic. Alex watched as the officer noticed his expression and then reached out to put a hand on his shoulder, but he couldn’t feel it. Everything was so numb. He saw the officer speak, but his mind could not process any words.

“ _No!_ ” yelled Alex. He jerked away from the officer, only to slam into his father. “Don’t touch me! Neither of you touch me!”

Everything had come crashing back to Alex at the sound of his own voice, but now it was all to much. Everything was too loud, even the sound of his own breathing. He bolted back upstairs and into his room.

“Elijah Alexander Beckett!” yelled Richard as his son slammed his bedroom door.

“ _That’s not my name!_ ” screamed Alex. He sunk to the floor and covered his ears with his hands. His sobs wracked his entire body as he curled up on the floor to cry. He gave keening wails periodically as he mourned the loss of the only two people in his life who loved him.

He had no idea how much time had passed when his father began to pound at his bedroom door. Alex did not care what Richard had to say; in fact, he hoped that ignoring him would enrage his father to the point that his father would kill him.

“Shut the hell up in there and listen to me!” It was clear that the officer was no longer within hearing distance. Richard would never have ruined his perfect father image purposefully. “I have to go to the police station. You stay in that fucking room of yours, or so help me, I will break every bone in your pathetic body!”

Alex did not respond, but Richard didn’t care this time. The teenager could hear his father go down the stairs and out the front door. Alex lay there for a few minutes longer, letting his emotions bubble and swirl inside him. Finally, he pushed himself to his feet and turned toward the door.

“ _I fucking hate you!_ ” he screamed, as though his father were still there. “ _This is all your fault!_ ”

Richard had done everything he possibly could to isolate his wife. She had never been allowed to learn much English, get a job, or even learn how to drive a car. She had been given no choice but to take that cab. Maybe they could have had a chance if Euna had been at the wheel.

“ _I hate you! I hate you! I fucking hate you!_ ” Alex began to punch the door, and didn’t stop until his knuckles were bloodied, and it felt as though he had broken something. “I can’t… I can’t do this anymore…”

He stood there, panting, until an idea formed in his head.

Alex flung open his door and rushed downstairs. He went to the hall closet and dumped his school supplies onto the floor. He hesitated at the sight of Maria’s backpack, then emptied it, too.

He raided the pantry and filled one backpack with nonperishable foods. His anger burned brighter as he saw that they could have easily gone without that day’s trip to the store.

Alex then returned to his room and packed up some clothes. He dressed himself as warmly as possible, barely registering the bruises blossoming over his stomach and abdomen. Alex then dug through the drawer on his nightstand until he found a necklace with a silver cross pendant. He put this around his neck and stormed off to his parents’ room now. Alex was not a religious person – that was his mother and sister’s thing. But Maria had given him this necklace, and now he vowed to never let it out of his sight.

Alex tore apart the dresser and closet in his parents’ room, shoving his father’s fancy watches and jewelry into his pockets. He came across a photo album tucked away under the bed. This contained snapshots of himself, Maria, his mother, and a small handful of photos Euna had of her family that she had managed to hide from Richard. Alex forced this into his backpack too, as tears welled up in his eyes again.

The teenage boy now headed for the front door. He stopped out on the front port, and after a moment’s thought, left the door wide open.

“I hope someone fucking robs you, then comes back and murders you,”growled Alex under his breath. For a moment, he considered burning the place to the ground. He realized, however, that it just wasn’t worth the punishment if he was to be caught.

Alexander Kim spat on his father’s doorstep, before he disappeared into the cold night.


	2. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if this warrants any content warnings? It's got the aftermath of physical assault but nothing graphic or anything.
> 
> Also, I apologize for it being so short in comparison to the prologue. I've been struggling with getting back into writing and this was the best I could get out for now.

Alex was unsure of where he was - unsure of why he couldn't keep a grasp on consciousness. He had managed to force open his eyes once or twice now; he thought he had seen nurses at one point, maybe even his friend Serena? But he had also been having dreams about his mother and nightmares about his father, so maybe it was all just a part of his dreams.

He felt weird when he finally began to awaken. He couldn't move his jaw, and it felt like there was something shoved up his nose. He forced his eyes open, then groaned in confusion as found himself able to only bring up one hand to rub at his eyes. It seemed like everything hurt, from his head to his legs.

"Glad to finally see you awake."

Alex looked around to see a woman sitting in a chair at his bedside, and it was now that he realized he was in a hospital bed. He looked down at himself, taking note of the cast on his left arm. There was a breathing tube invading his nose, but he had no clue why he could not open his mouth to speak, and gasped in pain as he tried.

"Take it easy, baby. Your jaw is wired shut. You're not gonna be able to talk too good for a bit," explained the woman in the chair. Alex nodded slowly. "What _happened_ to you, honey? Who did this to you?"

Alex thought for only a moment or two, but the memory came easily enough. The teen's eyes dropped to the white bedspread as tears pricked at his dark brown eyes. He angrily wiped them away and took as deep of a breath as he could through his nose.

"You don't gotta tell me right now if you don't want to," said the woman softly. Alex shook his head slowly. He tried to speak again.

"No. It's okay." His words were slurred and a bit muffled, but he found that he could still talk. "It was Mitchell."

" _What?_ I'll kill him, I swear to Jesus - where does that moldy-ass cracker live?" demanded the woman.

"Don't worry about it, Serena. He's not worth it," replied Alex, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Not worth it? Child, it looks like he tried to kill you!"

"I think that's what he was going for. How did I end up here?" The woman shook her head.

"I only found out you was here because I'm friends with an ER nurse. They said someone dumped you outside and you been here ever since. You got a concussion, a fractured jaw and ribs, a broken arm, and I don't even know how you can see outta that mess of a face."

"I don't even know why he stopped, or why he brought me here," said Alex now, almost inaudible.

"Stopped what? Beating you? Why didn't you tell me he was treating you like this? You made it seem like you was living the good life. You know better - I woulda helped you get out!"

"It was great at first!" protested Alex. "This was the first time he's ever done something like this... He was fine until he found out I like to do drag sometimes. He just lost his fucking mind and started attacking me, screaming at me, calling me a tranny and all other stupid shit."

Serena's eyes widened, her nostrils flaring. She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath, manicured nails digging into the little clutch purse in her lap.

"I knew it. I never trusted him - some white man picking a little Asian boy off the streets twenty years his junior to be his sugar baby. He started trying to keeping you away from us, but I tried to be positive - after all he had the money to give you everything you wanted. I shoulda never let you go with him."

"I can make my own decisions, thanks," replied Alex with a roll of his eyes.

"No you can't. You're fifteen and nearly got yourself killed - not to mention the fact that you're gonna be homeless again."

Alex felt his throat tighten at the thought, casting his eyes down at the bedsheets again. Mitchell, his older now ex-boyfriend, had lived in a luxurious apartment. He had even given Alex one of his credit cards to buy pretty much anything that caught his eye; the only real rule that came with it had been that Alex could not see any of his old friends from his prostitute days.

Alex had disobeyed for some time, slipping out to meet up with his friends while Mitchell was at work. He had even been able to treat them to nice food and little gifts - Mitchell never scrutinized his bills and simply paid the dues when the time came. However, it had been a mistake for Alex to purchase a dress.

The dress was a long red evening gown that was absolutely gorgeous. Alex had felt guilty for purchasing something so expensive for nothing but his own pleasure. However, he'd reasoned that the money he'd spent was made by someone who had so much he wouldn't notice a little missing. But Mitchell hadn't cared about the price tag - he was enraged by the idea that his teenage boy toy had the interest of putting on a dress every once in a while.

"I wish he had just killed me," said Alex quietly, the tears welling up faster this time. He made no move to stop them, and instead just stared down at his lap in defeat. "At least then I could have died in a nice house knowing what it's like to feel kind of comfortable. Now I'll just die miserable in some back alley."

"Hey, that's enough of that kinda talk." Serena stood now, leaving her purse in her chair. She walked over to Alex's bedside and took a seat on the edge. She slid her arm around his shoulders as best as she could, and looked down at him with a softness in her eyes. "You're just a baby. You got so much life ahead of you. This is just a setback - we'll get you off of the street. I'll make sure of it."

Alex sighed and allowed Serena to pull him closer. He rested his head in the crook of her arm and tried to stop crying; it was getting hard to breathe now that he couldn't open his mouth. But there was a crushing weight in his chest as his thoughts swirled with darkness, and he found that he simply couldn't stop the tears.

"Take deep breaths, baby," said Serena gently. "You can't get all worked up in that thing."

"I can't keep doing this." Alex did his best to gasp for more air through his clenched teeth. "I should have just stayed at home with my dad."

"You couldn't have stayed there. You'd be in the hospital same as now, if he didn't put you in the morgue first."

"I don't care. I just want to see my Eomma and Maria again." Serena reached up to stroke Alex's hair now.

"You know they wouldn't want you to feel this way, especially not your mom. You got away, she'd be so happy for that, and she'd want you to live your life free from your dad."

"She wouldn't want me living on the streets, either."

"No, she wouldn't. But she loved you very much, and she woulda understood why it happened. I know she saw how smart and sweet you are. You was just dealt a shit hand in life. But we'll fix it." Alex said nothing, continuing to sniffle. "I care about you, too, Alex. You know that, right? I'm sorry you're in this situation - a kid like you don't deserve to be on the streets. I wanna help you. Bianca and I found an apartment - come stay with us. You can have one of the bedrooms, and I'll sleep in the living room."

"Really?" asked Alex, reaching up to wipe at his eyes.

"Of course, baby. I'm not gonna leave you out on the street. You're like a son or little brother to me. Relax and be a kid for once."

"Thanks, Serena."


End file.
